MONTANA OFFICE OF TOURISM AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

The Montana Office of Tourism and Business Development markets Montana’s spectacular unspoiled nature, vibrant and charming small towns, breathtaking experiences, and relaxing hospitality to promote the state as a place to visit and do business. Its goal is to sustain and enhance the quality of life for all Montanans and their communities by strengthening the economy. In conjunction with other divisions of the Montana Department of Commerce and partners around the state, MOTBD’s programs aim to

The Business Resources Division has many partners across the state, consisting of other economic development professionals and organizations, devoted to fostering economic development prosperity in Montana.

Made in Montana Business Featured in Philadelphia Public Art Exhibit

HELENA, Mont. – A unique Made in Montana manufacturing company is making its mark in the expanding community of Bonner, not only in business but also in the arts.

Coaster Pedicabs Manufacturing, which produces pedal-powered passenger carts also known as rickshaws, currently has its products on display through a public art exhibit in Philadelphia by the celebrated Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang.

Fireflies is Guo-Qiang’s largest American public art project in a decade. In the exhibit, custom pedicabs adorned with hundreds of colorful lanterns have glided along Philadelphia’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway four nights per week since mid-September. The exhibit concludes this Sunday.

The Association for Public Art contacted Montana-based Coaster Pedicab last year because the company’s attention to detail caught Guo-Qiang’s eye. After the company sent a custom version of its standard pedicab, the artist placed an order for 27 of them. Coaster Pedicab ramped up production to fulfill the order — its largest to date — and shipped the fleet even earlier than expected.

Coaster Pedicab started in 2005 as Boston Pedicab, where Justin Bruce, now the company’s chief operating officer, led a project to reinvent the traditional pedicab. He found an established bicycle manufacturer to work with in Darby, and relocated Coaster Pedicab’s headquarters to Montana. One year later, Coaster Pedicab was established in the historic Bonner Sawmill.

“We feel extremely fortune to have found our home in the Big Sky and to have all of our trikes Montana-made,” said Bruce.

Since its origin in Bonner, Coaster Pedicabs has expanded from manufacturing pedicabs to producing other non-motorized tricycles such as cargo-box trikes, pickup-bed trikes and more launching soon.